Chapter 12
Twelve
The duelling arena was bigger than I remembered.
The seats surrounding the arena rose five levels.
The location where the duel would take place was made of compacted clay and dirt.
They had decorated the wall in each realm’s colours and coat of arms. Voldina was a deep green, housing an owl with red eyes.
Cazina had a grey background with a wolf baring its teeth.
Nevereta was blue, with a mermaid emerging from the crashing waves, as she descended from exactly that, even though they had all been killed off long ago, just like the dragons.
Suncela was gold with a phoenix, though a cactus would be more fitting for their barren desert lands.
Morgad had their viscous snake wrapped around a sword of gold and black.
A mark of their cold indifference to those around them.
Some still had reptilian eyes, but it had been so diluted—even in the royal bloodlines—that it was rare to come across.
Taking in my surroundings, the whispers of the crowd filtered through.
It was rare that two opponents stood on opposing sides of the arena both being from the same side.
I could hear the crowd of royals and nobles murmuring as to what had brought this on.
Prince Acheron subtly sat on the side closest to Vivianna’s position.
Visarous stood beside her. I stood alone.
It was not the image I had ever intended to project to my allies and enemies, but it needed to be done.
They would see that even if I had no one by my side I would prevail.
I had strength enough for a whole army in my bones.
This duel would allow one weapon each. I chose my sword.
Visarous handed Vivianna her sword to match mine, but there would be no shields.
I watched the two of them as I paced along the edge of the arena.
Stretching my neck and my shoulders in preparation for what was to come.
Since ascending the throne, Vivianna had been on the field more times than I, as my Master of War, but I hoped I was still faster and stronger.
The duel would be starting soon, and to my surprise, Visarous left Viv’s side and came to stand before me. ‘I wish you well, my Queen,’ he said, bowing to me.
‘This is a surprise. I assumed that after last night and your display by your sister’s side just now, you would be wishing for my demise.’ Pain flashed across his face.
‘She is my sister. I will always worry about her as a brother should. But you, you are so much more than that. Why do you think I was jealous when I saw you dancing with Demir last night?’ He was angry even picturing me with my arms wrapped around Demir’s neck again, bodies close.
‘Jealousy is for children. Besides, you have no claim over me. You should know better than most the appearances I must keep in public settings such as this. Do you truly think I enjoyed even laying a single finger on him?’ I said as thoughts of that comfortable warmth the flame had enveloped me in when we danced flittered through my mind.
But that was a truth I would even deny to myself.
‘It looked like you enjoyed it plenty—you even ran off for seconds in the hallway.’
The drums began, signalling the start of the duel.
Shaking him off, I stepped into the centre of the arena.
Visarous went to claim a seat while the crowd hushed.
Viv and I paced on our respective sides of the line that ran through the middle as the drumming crescendoed, then stopped, and so it began.
I lowered my stance, carrying my weight on the balls of my feet.
Viv did the same and ran towards me without hesitation.
As I closed the distance between us, I raised my sword, and it met hers in the air, blocking the strike.
Our swords met again in a resounding clash that reverberated throughout the arena.
I blocked every blow while stepping toward her, forcing her further back.
Minutes passed, and she was growing tired as each strike of her sword failed to find its mark.
Moving into an offensive position, I struck with such impact that she doubled back.
I noticed the shake of her wrist as she tried to hold onto her sword.
She parried my attacks, but I was not working at full strength yet; I was only warming up.
As steel met steel, we danced in twists and turns around each other.
It was a violent elegance. I feigned a misstep to draw her close, then slammed the hilt of my sword against her temple.
She stumbled back, blinking through what seemed like a concussion, as I swung my sword just short of her, cutting through the vambrace on her forearm. It clattered to the ground.
Before she regained herself, I kicked her knee so cleanly that I heard a crack.
She dropped to the floor in agony as a scream escaped her.
I knew her, and she was both ashamed and angry in that moment.
Forcing herself back up onto her one good leg, she slashed her sword at me.
I couldn’t contain my laughter at her feeble attempt.
Rage flared across her face as she snarled at me and screamed.
‘This! This is why you will never have what I have. You are sick and twisted and so fucked up! You are my friend, not just my queen! You should be happy for me! You are so fucking selfish. You only care about us to the extent that we serve you. You expect us to never have needs apart from you! I deserve to be loved! Just because you were never loved and don’t know how to love does not make what I have wrong!
It is real! And you will respect it!’ she screamed at me, and the entire arena gaped in shocked silence.
No one spoke to royalty that way and lived.
But the wards would prevent a killing blow.
In this moment I wished we had of waited to do this on my own lands.
Since she wanted to humiliate me in the process, I could do the same, but words would have no effect on her. I had to bring her to death’s door.
‘If I were only your Queen, I would have made you choose, and when you chose wrong, I would have killed you,’ I whispered so the others could not hear of my mercy.
Raising my hand, I showed her the second red ring that marked my finger.
She paled. ‘Instead, we both chose you. I chose you. Even after your betrayal and lies. I chose what was best for you, not for me or our people. You are one to talk about respect. You’re akin to a feral wildling in the woods—the only way to teach you respect is to beat you into submission, you ungrateful bitch. ’
I flung my sword toward her, about to strike, but she was still in such shock that instead of truly blocking, she allowed me to fling her sword across the ground, where it skidded and kicked up dirt.
Without missing a beat, I kicked her in the chest and sent her flying onto her back.
I needed to make her bleed but she was too weak and had no sword.
As I stood over her exploding with frustration at all this rage that had nowhere to go, I raised my sword high above and slammed it down with so much force, screaming a primal sound that was no longer human.
I drove it right through the ground next to her head.
I saw the fear I so desperately craved in her eyes.
In that moment I wanted to cry, instead I dropped to my knees as my fist landed on her jaw, the other on her eye and hit her over and over and over again.
I screamed the whole time right into her face as I punched, fighting back the tears I felt wanting to spill over.
At some point, she had stopped fighting back.
I felt arms grip me, pulling me off her as Viv coughed up blood, and Visarous rolled her onto her side, rubbing her back and comforting her as healers rushed to her side.
The injuries would be gone by morning, but until then, she would feel every lick of pain.
Visarous looked up at me for a moment, hurt in his eyes.
Slowly, I started to become aware of my surroundings again.
The ringing in my ears dulled, and the voices in the arena filtered back in.
Prince Acheron was sitting in his chair, gripping the armrests so tightly that his knuckles were likely to burst through his skin.
His sister Lejla laughed at Viv on the ground and then at me, the unhinged queen thrashing in the arms of two men.
Stop fighting. I heard that familiar voice in my mind. Demir. I stilled instantly. Pulling myself out of his grasp, I whirled to see Everett standing there as well, hands raised to signal that he was no threat. Why had they, of all people, intercepted the fight?
‘Where are you going?’ Demir asked. ‘I’m not done with you yet,’ he said, smirking as he flicked a coin that landed between my feet.
A duel. Everett raised his brow and stared me down, as if questioning whether I would accept.
But there was no real choice in this. I picked up the coin and my sword from the ground.
‘Finally,’ I said, a sinister smile taking over my face as I forgot Viv’s existence the moment they dragged her away.
I had dreamed of the day I could wrap my fingers around his neck and watch the panic in his eyes and after everything my bloodlust still was not satisfied.
I needed to kill to calm down but this was the closest I was going to get while here.